The Pentagon decides Friday which company will build the Joint Strike Fighter – the so-called jet fighter of the future. It’s between Boeing, whose military division is in St. Louis, and Texas-based Lockheed Martin. It’s a $300-billion decision. Senator Christopher Bond says he’s confident Boeing will win, but he does not want to see the loser shut out. Bond says having two companies making the same plane will be good for taxpayers because the competition will keep Boeing and Lockheed Martin mindful of costs and quality. Bond cautions the loser in a “winner-take-all” scenario could be forced to cut thousands of jobs.
